Chevron Tank

I'm still pre-occupied with unpacking boxes and job-hunting, so for the first time in months I find myself with very little current knitting news. I received my Cotton Glace in the mail from Jill and finished the last sleeve of my Peace Cardigan last Friday. It is now sitting in a plastic bag waiting for me to find the time and space to block it and add the collar and buttons. Maybe next week? I've done very little knitting since Friday, but when I have I've been working on the Knit Cafe Baby Binky that I'm going to eventually finish and send off to my now not-so-new nephew. When the cardi and the binky are done I'll be down to three projects. Pretty impressive, yes?

Luckily, I did lots of knitting on the way here, so I have some FO's to show off to you. Here's the Chevron Tank, photographed in Lake George. Excuse the "lake hair" I've got going on. It's too relaxing a place to be concerned with appearances...

Chevron Tank, Interweave Knits Free Pattern, Spring 2004, designed by Ann Budd
Knit with just under 3 skeins (150 yards/skein) of the recommended Blue Sky Alpaca's Organic Cotton (100% Organic Cotton) in Bone (80) on my Addi Turbo brass-plated circulars in size US 8 (5.0 mm) at a guage of 16 sts and 24 rows per 4 inches.

Pattern Notes:
First things first: IK has kindly offered Ann Budd's wonderful pattern for free to all who are interested. If you haven't checked it out previously, you can download the pdf pattern here. IK has several really wonderful free patterns on it's site, including the beloved Marilyn from it's sold out Spring 2004 issue, so if you haven't yet looked at what's on offer, you should.

Now that that's out of the way, here's the skinny on the Chevron Tank. It's fantastic. My only criticism would be that for someone of my size, it runs a little big. I thought it would be big going into the knitting, so I compensated by re-writing the pattern for one size smaller than the small size. I essentially knocked 6 stitches (1.5 inches) off both the front and the back and shaped accordingly. If you find that the pattern is not sized for your porportions I would highly recommend tweaking it. Despite its complex appearance, the Chevron Tank is a really straightforward piece that is very easy to re-size or to re-guage. So easy that I would also recommend this as a second tank to someone who is just beginning to knit shaped garments. You can learn a lot of techniques without getting into any trouble with this tank. It's a true Ann Budd classic - simple and timeless.

My down-sized Chevron Tank still turned out to be a little loose, mostly because I am small-chested. This is yet another knit that is greatly enhanced when you put a wonderbra on under it. (I have yet to find a garment that isn't.) In this case (unlike Pia) the looseness doesn't really matter. Armed with my wonderbra and a pair of close-fitting jeans ("stretch" is a wonderful thing), it's perfect.

If I made it again I would down-size it yet another time and try a finer guage yarn like Cotton Fleece or Cotton Classic. The effect of the chunky Organic Cotton is suprisingly wonderful, but I think it would be very slinky in a finer guage and will give that a try the next time around.

Overall, this is a very special, unique piece well worth making. I knit it in a week, and for those who are wondering, yes, I did finish it in California. I did the seaming on our front porch as I watched the movers take the last boxes down our stairs. It was a very peaceful way to say goodbye to our awesome view of downtown Glendale and the hills of Griffith Park.

The Chevron Tank made it's debut in Chicago, where we stopped along our cross-country journey to stay the night with friends and visit some of our old haunts. (Chicago is where Moxie and I first met. I lived there for 10 years and he lived there for 6, so it's a place that is close to our hearts.) The night we rolled into the city was still summery, with just a little evening chill, so I put on the Chevron Tank for our walk down Clark Street to the Red Sea, our favorite Ethiopian place. Good stuff. It was too late to take pictures, however, so the photoshoot took place on the boat at Lake George, which was also the perfect climate for tank wear. I'm guessing that unless we get a warm snap in D.C. I probably won't have the opportunity to wear the tank again until spring, but I was happy to get even a few weeks wear from a tank that I started in September.

Impressions of Organic Cotton:
I am a long time fan of Blue Sky Alpaca's yarns and have coveted them for years, but surprisingly, this was the first time I had ever actually knit up any of their offerings. I can now verify that my love of their fibers was well-placed. The hand of Organic Cotton is, admittedly, a little odd. There's something a little rough and fibrous about it - definitely organic. Not bad, just earthy. Hand is very important to me, so when I started knitting the swatch I was a little concerned about this "feature". However, this feeling transforms when you simply pick up the skein or when you wear the final finished project. Organic Cotton feels wonderfully soft against the skin and is a real luxury to wear. It's one of those fibers that can feel cozy and sexy at the same time. Not bad for a single yarn. I'm hooked.

If you read my earlier post on the Chevron Tank, you'll remember that I had some concerns about the chunkiness of this yarn (knit on US8's) for this particular project. In general, I think that I would be more likely to use Organic Cotton for a big cozy winter sweater than for summer fare. That said, I think in this particular case Ann Budd's choice to use it in a tank was nothing short of brilliant. Mind you, this is not the best fiber for the tank for those of you in Louisiana or Alabama in the heat. You'd find yourself damp and sticky in no time flat in this tank in the course of a humid summer. But for dry climates like California, Chicago, etc. where there can be a bit of a chill in the air or for transitional seasons like early fall or spring, it's perfect. The effect is a truly organic, almost Asian-inspired piece (think Habu), that is really incredible.

Possible substitute yarns:
Organic Cotton has a noticeable texture to it that gives it a natural sophistication. I honestly haven't seen this exact effect in another yarn, although I am sure some natural fibers company out there must make something like it. For the tank, you could substitute any 100% cotton and either double it to make guage (since most cottons on the market are finer) which would give you some of the texture that you'd lose from substituting a less organic yarn, or re-guage the parttern to make a slinker tank with a little more drape. Depending on the pattern (not this one!) wool could be a more appropriate substitute for this particular cotton. It has a loftiness that reminds me more of wool than cotton.

Tips for Others Making the Chevron Tank:
My best advice is to know your measurements. This tank requires about 2" of ease at the bust because it is long in the front and is going to need swing to clear your hips properly. An overly-clingy Chervron Tank could be a bad thing, so go a little big rather than a little small. (I'm a 31" bust and mine is a little roomy at 34" - 33" would be perfect). Don't be afraid to re-size the pattern or to re-guage it. It's a quick simple knit that will afford you a good opportunity to hone your customization techniques.

Other than that, there isn't much to say. Although the pattern involves decreases and bias knitting it's otherwise very easy and well-written. It's a happy knit.

More cool photos...